Looking for good book

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Posted By: Mike

Anybody have an interesting book that combines vintage baseball and collecting? Historical fiction similar to Field of Dreams or possibly with a collecting edge.

Thanks as I went to local book shop and didnt now what was good and there is alot of biographical stuff that bores me.

Thanks

Mike

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Posted By: Prewarsports

I read a book about 8 years ago called "Murder at Fenway Park" that is fiction combined with reality that mentions Cracker Jack baseball cards and has pictures of some on the cover. I think a Rookie shows up at Fenway for a trial and discovers someone has murdered Red Corriden in the clubhouse and he is trying to make the team while being part of a murder investigation where all the Sox of 1914-15 era are suspects. It is not going to win a Pulitzer, but is a decent book for what you are looking for. If you are interested in reading it I can mail you my copy and you can just send it back media mail when you are done and it should only set you back a buck or so.

Rhys Yeakley

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Posted By: Frank Wakefield

Easy. As a bibliophile, I recommend this:

The Celebrant, by Eric Rolfe Greenberg

This is one fine fictional book, partly about Christy Mathewson. Gives you a really solid feel for life and for the national pastime, from back when our dear T206s were issued.

Having read lots of baseball books, I was surprised that I'd overlooked this one. And when I finally found it, I didn't think that those who praised this work could be serious... it just couldn't be that good if I hadn't heard of it. I was wrong. It is that good.

Frank.

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Posted By: Bob

The Celebrant is a great read. There is also Blue Ruin, a fictional account of the '19 series. The Troy Soos books include not only Murder at Fenway, but also Wrigley and a host of other books, like Hunting a Detroit Tiger, etc. I read them all and really enjoyed Mickey Rawlings' adventures chock full of real life pre WW1 players.

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Posted By: Bill Stone

Dan Gutman has written a series of books ( very simple children's books but none the less fun) about baseball card adventures --some titles are: Satch and me
Mickey and me
Honus and me
Jackie and me ---the baseball card usually transports the reader back in time where the adventure occurs.

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Posted By: MVSNYC

i am sure you know of "The Glory of Their Times"...based on facts, but every entertaining. i am currently reading "The Big Bam", about Babe Ruth, obviously it is biographical, BUT extremely captivating.

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Posted By: Bruce Babcock

Darryl Brock's "If I Never Get Back." Fictional but essentially the story of the Red Stockings of the 1860s-70s period, as told by a time-traveling narrator. Wright Brothers, etc., are key figures. Tremendous baseball research went into this book.

Another Brock historical novel is "Havana Heat," about Dummy Taylor and McGraw's Giants touring in Cuba.

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Posted By: Bob

Bruce, I've read both and agree with you 100%.
There is a book called (if I remember correctly), The Great Baseball Card Mystery. I think that is the name of it. I bought a copy on ebay and tucked it away for my grandson when he gets a few years older. It involves a former player and old, old man who is the grandfather of the young boy (who is the main character) whose stats have disappeared from the books and who no one believes actually played against the Babe during his rookie season. The grandson acquires a mint condition Babe Ruth rookie from his grandfather which is subsequently stolen from the boy and the tales ensues.
A fun book which includes baseball card shop owners and collectors and plenty of preWW1 history of the game.

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Posted By: Bill Stone

Just curious --has anyone read --Crazy '08 by Cait Murphy about the 1908 baseball season?

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Posted By: Mike

Thanks to everyone who answered my post. I have begun my search and the Celebrant looks like it will be first on my list.

Mike

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Posted By: Dave Hornish

Don't forget about the book THE UNFORGETTABLE SEASON, which compiles newspaper clippings from 1908 but reads almost like a novel. I think G H Fleming put that togetehr. He also did a couple others in that vein, all worthwhile.

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Posted By: Frank Wakefield

Dave is right, the Fleming book is THE BEST on the 1908 season.... Glory of Their Times is a wonderful book. Both are great if you're interested in the times of the players in T206... but they are nonfiction books.

Bruce mentions If I Never Get Back, a book that I praised as about the best fiction baseball book, UNTIL I read The Celebrant. The former is about the 1869ish Reds, the latter set about 1907ish. Both are really good books. Read The Celebrant if you only read one.

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Posted By: Silver King

I've purchased about 10 books the past several months and although none of them combine card collecting with a story, they are all historical writings which help me understand the cards I am seeking. I never owned a pre 1900 card until a few months ago but now, whenever I see a card for sale that I have read about, it makes a card more fascinating. I've purchased several Old Judges and my first T206. My books are Beer & Whiskey League, Bill James Historical Baseball Abstract, Nineteenth Century Stars (SABR), Baseball Research Journals #20 & #23, the National Pastime and Before They Were Cardinals. All of these books are exceptional explaining what was going on during the formation of leagues.

robert shaw

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Posted By: Frank Wakefield

Bill James' Historical Baseball Abstract is one fine book. Do you have the early edition that has the fine writeup about Ed Reulbach? If not, try to get that one, too. The old one and the new one are vastly different.

http://www.abebooks.com/servlet/SearchResults?sts=t&an=bill+james&y=7&tn=historical+baseball+abstract&x=57

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Posted By: Silver King

I have the new version and just purchased the old version. Thanks for the link, never heard of that site and found two books.

robert shaw